Pubdate: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 Source: Free Press, The (NC) Copyright: 2002 Kinston Free Press Contact: http://www.kinston.com/Contact.cfm Website: http://www.kinston.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1732 SCIENCE GUIDES BRITAIN'S NEW MARIJUANA LAW The decision in Great Britain last week to change the laws on cannabis, or marijuana, almost to the point of decriminalizing simple possession of the plant by an adult is not as drastic as some news stories have suggested - and might, in fact, be so modest as not to achieve some of the hoped-for benefits of decriminalization. Nonetheless, it is an important step that will create a record U.S. officials should study. Roger Howard, chief executive of DrugScope, Great Britain's leading nonprofit organization dealing with drug policy issues, explained in a newspaper interview that the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act includes three categories: Class A includes heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and other "hard drugs," Class B includes methamphetamines and (until now) cannabis, while Class C includes benzodiazepine and other tranquilizers. The policy change announced by Home Secretary David Blunkett will move cannabis to Class C. While retaining the option of arrest in certain cases, it will ensure that, for most adults, simple possession of cannabis will not mean arrest, though they might face a fine or civil penalty. In the United States, under the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, there are five "schedules" for controlled drugs. Schedule I, which prohibits any use, even under medical supervision, includes heroin, LSD and marijuana. Drugs on the other schedules (methadone, morphine, methamphetamine and cocaine are on Schedule II) can be prescribed under limited but increasingly liberal circumstances. Based on science and relative dangers, marijuana has no business being on Schedule I (see the 1999 Institute of Medicine report, "Marijuana and Medicine" for documentation), but for political reasons it remains there. The main difference between Great Britain and the United States seems to be that some British officials have paid attention to official scientific reports. Maybe U.S. citizens should require politicians, DEA honcho Asa Hutchinson and other officials to read and pass a test on the 1999 Institute of Medicine report and the 1972 Shafer Commission Report before discussing marijuana again in public. - --- MAP posted-by: Ariel